Lake George a designated Ramsar site located in Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) a protected area in southwestern UGANDA, provided important fisheries in the past, with harvests composed primarily of tilapia, catfish i.e., Bagrus and Clarias, including lungfish. Statistics over a forty-year period up to 1990s indicate average catch of 3000t/year, which have since declined to near extinction with great loss in fish species diversity, particularly the African catfish “Clarias gariepinus”, locally known as “Emalle” was a cheap and reliable source of protein, income and employment opportunity for the poor indigenous community. Continued degradation of fisheries resources exacerbated by; increased fishing effort as a result of population growth, prevalent poverty and hunger, use of illegal and destructive fishing gears and methods, and encroachment into fish breeding grounds; and coupled with ignorance, corrupt extension staff, non-adherence to laws, rules and regulations have left the fishery over exploited, unsustainable and unreliable for poor lake dependent community.

Strategically, participatory methodologies will be proactively employed and promoted to facilitate vertical and horizontal awareness, networking, learning, group formation and collective action for sustainable fisheries and preservation of the African catfish by promoting community earthen pond fish farming. Through advocacy, duty bearers will be engaged for local policy, design of alternative livelihood strategies and resource redirection while the poor and vulnerable i.e women and youths directly targeted and integrated as active stakeholders and beneficiaries of the intervention.

Ultimately, earthen fishponds with 25 years of useful lifespan built to hold freshwater, support aquatic life and ensure long-term farming and preservation of the African catfish. Productions of micro-organisms in the pond make it a sustainable ecosystem supporting life and perpetuating nature. Increasingly, pond fish farming engages more people with less venturing into capture fisheries thereby redirecting fishing effort, stimulating and effecting regeneration of fish species diversity and resurgence of the African catfish. Capacity built and cohesive community groups proactively engage duty bearers for policy shift, redirection of effort and resources to facilitate a people-centred ecological development. In this way, making pragmatic, substantial and long-lasting contribution to nature conservation while ensuring long lasting availability of the African catfish “Clarias gariepinus” to support the well-being of poor, vulnerable and marginalized indigenous people dependent of, and deriving livelihoods from Lake George resources. Thus, resulting to an economically viable Kasenyi village whose resident population register improved livelihoods and effectively contribute to long-term efforts for conservation of Lake George biodiversity.